Elastic wheel.



J. KOHLER.

ELASTIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1913.

N ////////////////lJ//////////6 Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

J. KOHLER.

ELASTIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7. 1-913.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915..

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

i I'l SA PA pron.

JOSEPH KOHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 KIT'IIE COLLINS KOHLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELASTIC WHEEL.

Application filed March 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH KOi-ILER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic wheels for vehicles, and more especially to that type of such wheels, which forms the subject matter of my prior Letters Patent No. 1,056,554:, March 18 1913. And the present improvement has for its object to provide a simple and efficient structural formation and com- .bination of the wheel parts, whereby a ready removal and replacement of the main elastic cushion and its immediate accessories can be effected, while the remaining parts of the wheel are held in proper relation to each other and thus aid in the ready and convenient removal andreplacement of said cushion and its accessories.

A further object is to provide means for readily and effectively connecting and maintaining the outer and inner members of the wheel in proper concentric relation for emergency use, and in a manner which provides limited resiliency, when the main cushion aforesaid has become accidentally disabled, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1, is a side elevation of a wheel illustrating the general arrangement of parts in the present invention, parts being removed and parts shown in section. Fig. 2, is an enlarged detail section on line wx, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a fragmentary side view of the preferred form of the main elastic cushion of the present improvement. Fig. 4, isan enlarged detail section of one of the side plate members of the wheel. Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail transverse section on line w00, Fig. 1. Fig. 6, is a similar view on line as -00, Fig. 1, and illustrating the wheel parts connected for emergency use. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section, on line 00 -01 Fig. 6.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several views.

As represented in the drawings, the pres ent improvement has the same general arrangement of the wheel parts as that shown Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1%15.

Serial no. 752,606.

and described in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,056,554: of March'18, 1918, and as shown in said drawings comprises an arrangement and formation of parts, as follows 1 represents an end portion of a vehicle axle, and 2 the bearing sleeve of the hub portion of the wheel, mounted to rotate on said axle end by any usual roller or ball bearing provision interposedbetween said sleeve and the aXle end. Near its inner end the bearing sleeve 2, is provided with a fixed and out-turned flange or collar 3, for the purpose hereinafter stated.

4: is an inner extension of the sleeve 2, preferably formed separately therefrom and having a flange or collar 5, corresponding with the aforesaid collar 3, and fitting against the side of the same as shown in Fig. 5. The pair of flanges 3, 5, are provided with a circular series of orifices for the reception of the inner ends of a series of bolts 6, by which the hub parts are secured together in an assemblage of the wheel parts.

7 is an innerv plate member or disk disposed on the inner face of the wheel, and 8 is a companion outer plate member disposed on the outer face of the wheel, and each formed with a circular central orifice adapted to fit the periphery of the bearing sleeve 2 aforesaid, and each provided with a series of holes for the passage of the series of clamping bolts .6 aforesaid. In the present improvement the bolt holes 6 in said outer plate member 8, will have the elongated form shown in Fig. 1, with one end 'of each lateral elongation enlarged to permit the passage of the head of its bolt, as hereinafter more fully set forth. Said outerplate member or disk 8, isformed in two parts,'to-wit:

by the series of radially disposed arms ofthe reinforcing spider or skeleton member hereinafter described.

In my preferred construction of the plate members 7 and 8, the same will comprise a plurality of plates or disks of metal and an interposed plate or disk 7 of sound-deadening material, secured closely together by rivets or like fastening means, and with a view to impart noiseless properties to the wheel in actual use.

10 is the reinforcing spider or skeleton member above referred to, and which is preferably made separate from the inner portion of the plate member 8, and secured thereto by rivets as shown. Said reinforcing member 10, consists of an inner ring portion and an outer series of radial arms, which are formed with offset portions 11 at their outer extremities for engagement in the herein-- after described sockets carried on the outer annular portion 9, aforesaid. And said 011- set portions are in turn formed with receiving holes or recesses for the reception of the ends of the locking bolts hereinafter described.

12 is a reinforcing skeleton member or spider, preferably made as a separate part, and secured to the outer portion 9 of the plate member 8, by rivets, as shown in Figs.

5 and 6. Said reinforcing member 12 consists of an inner ring portion and outer series of alternating radial arms 13 and 141,

which are formed with orifices for the reception of the series of transverse bolts hereinafter described.

In the present improvement 15 are a series, of overhanging brackets preferably formed as an integral part of the inner ring portion of the spider 12, and underneath which the outer ends of the offset portions 11 of the before described spider 10, are adapted to be simultaneously inserted by a short independent turning movement, in one direction, of the main inner portion of the outer plate member 8, which carries said offset portion 11, of the spider 10. With a turning movement of said inner portion of the outer plate member 8, in an opposite direction, asimultaneous disengagement of theaforesaid offset portions 11 from underneath the overhanging brackets 15, is attained to permit the removal of the main central portion of the outer plate member 8, and the parts mounted thereon, as hereinafter described. 4

16 are transverse screw-bolts engaging screw-threaded holes in the brackets 15, aforesaid, with their inner ends adapted for engagement in the holes or recesses of the offset portions 11 above described, and for the purpose of holding the same from disengagement in actual use of the wheel. While a transverse bolt 16 may be used in each bracket 15 of the series, it is within the scope of this partof the present invention to use a less number of said bolts, if desired, as for instance with each alternate bracket, or less.

17 is a reinforcing skeleton member or spider, preferably formed as a separate part and secured to the inner plate member 7, by rivets, as shown. 'Said reinforcing member 17 is preferably formed as a single piece and with alternate short and long radial arms as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

18 is the tread member of the wheel, of any ordinary and suitable construction and attached in any usual manner to the outer or rim portion of the wheel, now to be described.

19 is the outer annular member and 20 the inner annular member of the aforesaid rim portion of the wheel, and which in the construction shown as connected together by intermediate spokes or members 21, as

shown. The inner annular member 20 fits between the heretofore described inner and outer plate members 7 and 8, and has independent movement between the same in a plane at right-angles to the axis of rotation of the wheel, and as usual in the present type of wheels the independent movement of the rim portion of the wheelis limited in extent by a series of enlarged orifices 22 formed in the member 20, and adapted to encompass the series of transverse stud bolts hereinafter described, and by their greater diameter as compared with that of said bolts, permit the required amount of independent movement to take place.

28 are the series of transversely extending bolts above referred to, arranged in a circular cluster concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheel, and each consisting of middle portions of the required length and reduced end portions fitting alined orifices in the plate members and 8, and spiders 12 and 17, aforesaid, and receiving nuts or like fastening means on their outer ends to secure the parts in assembled relation.

2 1 is an elastic cylinder fitting over the I and inner members of the wheel, and prevent jar and noise during such movement. 7

25 are a secondary series of enlarged and transversely extending orifices, formed in the inner annular member 20 of the rim portion of the wheel and disposed in alternating relation to the before described series of enlarged orifices 22. p

26 are a secondary series of transversely arranged stud bolts extending through the aforesaid orifices 25, and secured to the plate members 7 and 8 and spiders 12 and 17 in the same manner as the series of transverse bolts 23 above described. I I

27 are pairs of elastic cylindrical blocks disposed in the respective ends of the orifices 25, aforesaid, and yieldingly held in place at such ends of the orifices and in contact with the respective plate members 7 and 8,

by interposed coiled springs 28, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Such construction is intended to provide a very economical and efficient structure, in that With the same, the amount of resilient rubber required, is

greatly reduced without a corresponding decrease in the amount of resiliency in the structure.

The above described series of bolts 26, elastic cylindrical blocks 27 and springs 28, are emergency provisions and are not employed in the normal condition and operation of the wheel parts, and are only inserted in place when the other elastic provi sions of the wheel becomes damaged and inoperative, and it is desired to return home on such emergency provisions. With the described features in place, the elastic cylindrical blocks 27 are adapted to yieldingly resist any tendency of the outer tire portion of the wheel to an eccentric movement with relation to the center portion of the wheel, and thus provide a yielding nature in the wheel in actual use.

29, is the main annular elastic cushion member, which in the present construction is preferably formed of a solid annulus of rubber having a transversely curved periphery and recessed and orificed in the following manner 30 are a series of recesses formed in each side of the transversely curved periphery of the cushion member 29, and separated from each other by a contact web 31, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

32 are a series of transverse orifices formed in the body portion of the cushion member 29 and adapted in connection with the recesses 30, to impart the required resiliency tothe cushion member.

33 are concave recesses in the inner portions of the opposite faces of the cushion member 29, and which provide a reduced median portion for engagement with the attaching means of the cushion hereinafter described.

34 are a pair of counterpart annular rings, which together have the same transverse width as the cylindrical orifice of the, aforesaid inner annular member 20 of the rim portion of the wheel, and adapted to fit within said orifice as shown, and be held in place by the plate members 7 and 8, when the present wheel parts are assembled. The inner circular walls of the said annular rings 34 are concaved in a transverse direction, so as to form a receiving channel in which the periphery of the cushion member 29 fits and is held, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

Where the outer or rim portion of the wheel, which consists of the annular members l9 and 20, and spokes 21, are made of and in segmental sections as illustrated in Fig. 1, the point at which the adjacent edges of the pair of annular rings 341: meet, is provided with an annular reinforcing band 35 of metal to form a cylindrical bearing for the adjacent portions of the annular rings 34, aforesaid.

36 are counterpart annular rings of metal or the like, triangular in cross section, and fitting the inner portions of the recesses 33 of the cushion member 29, and having bearing on the periphery of the annular distance sleeve hereinafter described.

37 are a pair of counterpart annular disks having central openings which fit the cylindrical body of the bearing sleeve 2 of the Wheel hub. Said disks 37 are formed with inwardly extending annular flanges 38, approximately triangular in cross-section, and adapted for holding engagement with the rings'36 above described. In the construction shown, the disks 37 are arranged immediately inside the plate members 7 and 8, so as to be held in place by said plates and their attaching means.

39 is a distance sleeve disposed between the disks 37, so as to impose a separated re lation thereon. Said distance sleeve encompasses the sleeve member 2 of the wheel hub and is of a greater diameter so as to provide an intermediate annular space for the passage of the clamping bolts 6, heretofore described. And the concentric relation between said distance sleeve 37 and the wheel hub sleeve 2, is maintained by a central inturned annular rib 40 in the bore of the sleeve 39, as shown in Fig. 5.

4:1 is a closure cap secured to the main inner circular portion of the outer plate member 8, and removable therewith.

With the present construction a partial dismemberment of the wheel parts can be readily efiected when from accident or injury access is required to the interior portions of the wheel. This is efiected by loos ening up the locking bolts 16, and then imparting an independent turning movement to the main inner portion of the outer plate member 8, aforesaid.

In such movement the series of offset outer portions 11 of the spider 10, have their holding engagement with the series of brackets 15, and at the same time the enlarged portions of the elongated slots 6 are brought in line with the heads of the attaching bolts 6, so that said inner portion of the outer plate member 8, with the parts mounted thereon, can be outwardly removed from the wheel, after which any of the interior parts of the wheel can be removed as required and in an easy and convenient manner. Subsequent replacement or assemblage of the parts can be attained by a reversal of the operations just described, in that the other and main parts of the wheel are held in proper assembled relation in the present improved construction.

Having thus fully described my said invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an elastic Wheel, the combination of a tread member, an intermediate annular member, a hub member, a pair of plate members disposed at oppositesides of the Wheel and connected to the hub and to the tread member in a manner to permit restricted independent movement of the tread member, the outer one of said plate members comprising an outer annular portion and an inner portion detachably connected to the hub member, means for connecting said portions together on a common plane, the same comprising a series of laterally overhanging brackets on one portion and offset arms on the other portion adapted to engage beneath said brackets, and means for locking said brackets and offset arms in an engaged condition, substantially as set forth.

2. In an elastic Wheel, the combination of a tread member, an'intermedia'te annular member, a hub member, a pair of plate members disposed at opposite sides of the Wheel and connected to the hub and to the tread member in a manner to permit restricted in dependent movement of the tread member,

the outer one of said plate members comprising an outer annular portion and an inner portion detachably connected to the hub member, means for connecting said portions together on a common plane, the same comprising a series of laterally overhanging,

brackets on said outer portion and offset arms on said inner portion adapted to engage beneath said brackets, and means for locking said brackets and offset arms in an engaged condition, substantially asset forth.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 8rd day 40 Copies =0! this ,patentmay be obtained for live cents each,, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatentd. Washington, D. 0. 

